Let's be honest: there's no weekend project that's both as fun and practical as building a computer, especially when you have so many options. Whether it's a home theater PC, a workstation, or something else, it's a great way to spend a day (or two) off.

Regardless of what type of machine you decide to build, be sure to check out our PC building guide for step-by-step help throughout the entire process. It even contains video tutorials so you can see what you need to do, and additional references if you need them.

We've walked you through building your own computer before. In this post—which we'll…
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Big Builds

Our best builds for $600 and $1200 is also a good place to start if you want a pricier but more powerful machine—just err on the $1200 side. Hackintoshers (or even Windows/Linux PC builders) should check out these Hack Pro builds as they pack more power than Apple's offerings for far less money.

Apple's Mac Pro, the sleek and shiny trash can from outer space, is certainly a feat of…
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Specialized Builds

Standard builds are versatile, but sometimes you want a computer designed for a very specific function. If gaming is your thing, our 2012 gift guides included powerful gaming rigs you can build yourself. To really step it up, add a full-on water cooling system. If you're looking for a lower-powered machine to use as a media center, we've got those, too. In fact, Whitson recently put together his dream HTPC build for under $500. All of that aside, one of the coolest computers you can build yourself is an all-in-one machine. While it might not offer the level of upgradeability that you'll get with a standard case, it'll save space and still provide a lot more customization than you'd get if you just bought one out of the box.